Surface mount technology (SMT) is a method of constructing electronic circuits by mounting and soldering electronic components to the surface of a circuit board without, usually, the use of through-hole technology. Surface mounting lends itself to automation, which reduces labor costs and increases production rates. Surface mounting also lends itself to mounting and soldering electronic components to both sides of a circuit board.
With regard to a typical automated SMT process, components to be soldered to a circuit board may be delivered to a production line on trays or wound on reels or tubes. Computer controlled pick-and-place machines take the components and place them on the circuit board. The circuit board and components are then soldered with a reflow process. There are several reflow soldering processes currently in use including infrared reflow, vapor phase reflow, wave soldering, and convection heat.
It is with respect to these considerations and others that the disclosure made herein is presented.